'Why did her boss ambush our daughter?' Grieving parents ask why Treasury manager confronted 26-year-old over office gossip in meeting that led to her death

The grieving parents of a Treasury worker who took her own life have questioned why her manager 'ambushed' her over 'office gossip' during a meeting that ultimately led to her death.Chloe Moffat, 26, died on May 20 last year after being hauled into a meeting with senior staff and accused of sharing sensitive information about her colleagues.A coroner ruled earlier this month that the Treasury had 'materially contributed' to Ms Moffat's death by failing to follow its own HR procedures. Staff had failed to reassure the PA, described as having an 'exemplary employment record' over almost three years, that she was unlikely to lose her job.Now her parents have spoken out about the way their daughter was handled by her employer over the 'vexatious' claims. The ambitious politics graduate – who had been excitedly planning a holiday with her sister Alice before her death – attended what she had assumed was a routine meeting with her line manager on May 19 last year.But instead she was met by both her line manager and a senior manager who told her she was being accused of sharing confidential information with other staff members.Her parents Anne and David have since revealed the allegations involved discussing a fellow employee's job move, a relationship between two colleagues and staff salaries. The grieving parents of Treasury worker Chloe Moffat have questioned why her manager 'ambushed' her over 'office gossip' during a meeting that ultimately led to her death A coroner ruled earlier this month that the Treasury had 'materially contributed' to Ms Moffat's death by failing to follow its own HR procedures During the meeting Ms Moffat asked several times if her job was at risk, and if she could be supported by a friend - but both requests were refused. Asked by a tearful Ms Moffat if she would lose her job, the senior manager said she 'could not predict the outcome at this stage'.When the details of the allegations and the meeting came to light, her parents said they were both left with more questions than answers.Anne, a former head of care at a children's hospice, told The Times: 'When her line manager heard them, she said they didn't sound like the Chloe she knew. 'So why ambush her with a meeting like this without checking if they were vexatious, unfounded or simply not true?'Her husband David was equally left perplexed by the circumstances around claims amounting to nothing more than 'office gossip'.He said: 'After her death, when we were trying to work out how bad the complaints had been for a meeting like this to be called that led to Chloe taking the drastic action she did, we finally saw the allegations and thought, "Was that it?"'A coroner has since ruled that the way the meeting was conducted did not follow Treasury disciplinary policy, which would have made clear that Ms Moffat likely faced a written warning at most if the allegations were proven. It was unlikely that she would have been dismissed.When she came out of the meeting, Ms Moffat found she was locked out of her emails. She was also told not to mention the allegations to colleagues.She messaged a friend: 'I am going to be fired.' She met the same friend in central London where she 'broke down crying' and was 'distressed'. Property director David Moffat said he believes the meeting left Ms Moffat feeling 'destroyed'The distressed PA, who lived in Brixton, South London, also called her mother, who was in France at the time. During their conversation it became apparent that she was convinced she would lose her job. Ms Moffat travelled to the family home in Godalming, Surrey that night, where she and her father discussed their plans to visit Oxford for the weekend.But the next day, the property director found his daughter dead. The medical cause of death was given as suicide.Her distressed father believes Ms Moffat had been left so devastated by events at work, that she believed her life was 'destroyed'.Assistant coroner Anna Crawford said the young civil servant's state of mind, fearing that she would lose her job, likely contributed to the decision to take her own life.Ms Moffat's parents said they are unsure whether they will pursue further action against the Government – but say they want 'redress'.A Prevention of Future Deaths report authored by the coroner has been sent to the Treasury and the head of the civil service, Dame Antonia Romeo.The Treasury previously said it was considering the coroner's findings 'carefully', adding that it had introduced improvements to how it supports the wellbeing of colleagues accused of misconduct. It is understood not to be contesting the findings.A spokesman told the Daily Mail earlier this week: 'The Treasury's deepest sympathies continue to be with Chloe's friends and family, and the department continues to mourn our colleague.'We will learn the lessons from this tragedy. We are working urgently to respond to the coroner's findings and we have introduced immediate changes to our guidance, support and wellbeing arrangements.'Chloe's parents have agreed to meet with us so we can hear their views and update on actions the department is taking.'For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit thecalmzone.net